"It means a lot to us," senior guard Dan Mavraides said. "Some Princeton players hang up four banners. Some multiple banners. But for me, Kareem [Maddox] and Bobby [Foley], only one. But it means a lot. When we came in, this was the worst team in Princeton history, record wise. To culminate with this, an Ivy League championship our senior year and be here now, it's a great feeling."

Their reward is a No. 13 seed in the East Region, facing No. 4 Kentucky. The Wildcats, led by former Nets coach John Calipari, have transformed into an NBA factory with top high school players seemingly cycling in each season.

The Princeton players say they're relying on their experience in last season's College Basketball Invitational and their bond as an experienced team, although they're entering the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Maddox said they must prepare for longer timeouts and find ways to stay warm.

"It's basketball," Maddox said. "It's our next game, we've completed a couple of our goals, won the Ivy League championship and made the tournament. Our next goal is to win a first-round game. In doing that, we know what we have to do."

But what they've each emphasized is that they did not come here to leave after one game. Cornell advanced to the regional semifinals last season, which helped the Ivy League earn more prestige in basketball circles. Of course, the Big Red lost to Calipari and the Wildcats.

"At least for Kareem and I, this is our last year to win the Ivy League championship and make it to the tournament," Mavraides said. "These last couple of weeks were very stressful. But finally getting it done, and Doug's shot going on, almost instantly, released a lot of weight. Our season's not done. We're happy to be here, but we're coming to play."